I Musicali Affetti
Founded by Fabio Missaggia in 1997, the ensemble brings together Italian and international musicians who specialise in the performance of ancient music on original instruments. The group’s great freedom of expression is made possible by a conscious and systematic study of original sources and sound practices.
The ensemble has played at numerous prestigious festivals of ancient music, as for example in Venice, Verona, Rom, Bologna, Modena, Padova, Genoa, Pisa, Pescara, Viterbo, Avignon, Zagreb, Krk, Nice, Utrecht, and Hyeres. They also perform regularly in the unique and beautiful Teatro Olimpico of Vicenza, where they have brought to the public important productions, such as J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, “Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno” and “Alceste” by G.F. Händel (the latter as an Italian premiere), and the cycles of Italian songs by Händel “Apollo e Dafne”, “Clori”, “Tirsi e Fileno” and “Aci, Galatea e Polifemo” always under the direction of Fabio Missaggia.
The group has made several recordings for prestigious broadcasting companies, among them “Apollo e Dafne” by Händel, “Pigmalion” by Rameau (for the Italian State Broadcaster), as well as the first ever performance in modern times of the cantata “La Gloria, Roma e Valore” by G.L. Lulier for the Austrian National Radio (ORF 1), also released on compact disc.
In 2015 I Musicali Affetti published their first DVD entitled “Biagio Marini & Antonio Vivaldi a Vicenza” on the TACTUS label. The disc was recorded and filmed in the Gallerie di Palazzo Leoni Montanari in Vicenza and combines both the music of Antonio Vivaldi and the outstanding masterpieces within and architectural features of the unique historical building. For Brilliant Classica, the ensemble has published the CD “Alle figlie del Coro”, featuring world-premier recordings of music by N.A. Porpora.
Working together with prestigious soloists and directors, such as M. Huggett, S. Kuijken, A. Bernardini, R. Alessandrini, and many more, I Musicali Affetti have, since 1997, been striving tirelessly to rediscover and promote the extraordinarily rich artistic treasure of Vicenza. The ensemble’s desire to form links with other, perhaps less obvious musical genres has also given them the opportunity to team up with jazz and contemporary musicians.
Since 2016 I Musicali Affetti have been collaborating closely with GREAM (Groupe de Recherches Expérimentales sur l’Acte Musical – Université de Strasbourg), in order to bring to the attention of the public previously unreleased music by seventeenth-century Italian composers.
The last CD for TACTUS with the first absolute recording of the Opus II by Biagio Marini has received enthusiastic acclaim from the specialized international critics.